Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Diriyah Company has announced the award of a major new $600 million (SAR2.249 billion) contract for construction work on the high-profile Diriyah Square retail precinct to Salini Saudi Arabia, a subsidiary of the Webuild Group.
Diriyah Square is located at the heart of Diriyah, the City of Earth, within the unique Najdi-inspired architectural Diriyah Masterplan. It is designed to develop a vibrant retail district featuring a mix of 400 iconic retail, leisure, and dining brands.
The district will emphasize exceptional customer experiences, focusing on pedestrians and offering unparalleled shopping, dining, and living opportunities. Diriyah Square aims to pioneer the future retail and leisure landscape of Diriyah, and more broadly, Riyadh.
This marks the third major involvement of the Webuild Group in helping to create the unique flagship retail environment in Diriyah. Salini is already well advanced in constructing a 10,500-space car park beneath Diriyah Square, which will be among the largest in the world.
The car park will include bus stations, dedicated taxi and VIP drop-off areas, and an underground four-lane gyratory connecting the subterranean Masterplan, providing best-in-class vehicle access and customer parking experiences across Diriyah Square.
Salini is also nearing completion of the structural engineering for all above-ground Diriyah Square assets, including the retail spaces, hotels, branded residences, offices, and the Grand Mosque.
The contract for developing the retail district includes constructing 73 individual buildings and 400 shell-and-core retail units over a built-up area of 365,340 square meters, covering facades, finishes, and fit-outs of the units.
Every building will use traditional Najdi architectural design themes to create a unique pedestrianized retail environment in the heart of Diriyah reflecting 300-years of history and heritage.
Commenting on the latest contract award, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: “Diriyah Square is one of our most exciting, anticipated, and prestigious districts, and we are extremely pleased to have signed with Salini to deliver it, bringing their immense global experience to the table. It is yet another significant milestone in our development journey and will help set the stage for Diriyah Square’s retail spaces to welcome a diverse array of shoppers from our residential communities, surrounding office spaces, and the millions who visit us every year.”
Webuild CEO Pietro Salini added: “We are proud to contribute to a project of such symbolic and strategic importance to Saudi Arabia. This will further strengthen our presence in the Kingdom and positively impact both the area and the local community. We are excited about developing this new phase of Diriyah Square, an integral part of an iconic project. The Webuild Group has been present in Saudi Arabia since 1966, delivering more than 90 projects. We remain committed to supporting the Kingdom in developing some of the world’s most complex infrastructure projects, particularly in areas such as civil buildings, sustainable mobility, and desalination.”
Diriyah Square is the retail centerpiece of Diriyah, the City of Earth, connecting the world’s finest brands with local artisan goods, and blending culture with leisure and entertainment. It hosts 400 of the estimated 1,000 outlets planned across the 14-square-kilometer development area of the SAR237 billion ($63.2 billion) project.
With this award, Diriyah Company has surpassed SAR100 billion ($26 billion) in contract awards since its inception, including SAR20 billion ($5 billion) in the first half of 2025.
Diriyah, the City of Earth will contribute approximately $18.6 billion (SAR70 billion) directly to the Kingdom’s GDP, create nearly 180,000 jobs, and be home to an estimated 100,000 people. It will also include modern office space for tens of thousands of professionals in technology, media, the arts, and education. Additionally, the development will feature museums, a university, the Royal Diriyah Opera House, the Diriyah Arena, world-class hotels and restaurants, the Royal Golf Club, Wadi Safar with the Greg Norman-designed championship golf course, and the Royal Equestrian & Polo Club.
